Newlyweds walk through high grass on the Appalachian trail after their wedding.

Jordan and Kyle wanted a small, intimate ceremony that focused on bringing their families together and celebrating their love. We planned for sunset at Max Patch on the Appalachian Trail, and I walked Kyle halfway up the trail for their first look. On my way back down to get Jordan the sky completely opened up; lighting, thunder, and of course sheets of rain. After talking with everyone we decided to wait out the storm and were so relieved when it passed, giving us just enough time for their ceremony and photos.

The couple opted to read letters to each other privately, detailing their vows and excitement for the future. I was so touched by how emotional they were. I love this idea because it gives you the chance to voice your deepest promises to your loved one without an audience.. and really gets to the heart of the commitment they are entering into.

Afterwards, we all hiked up to the top. Jordan’s father officiated their ceremony and Kyle’s father spoke as well. We shot some photos as the sun was setting and hiked back down the mountain. It was a beautiful day full of love, and you can see from the smiles on their faces they didn’t let the rain delay affect them in the slightest.

Are you thinking about eloping? Check out more photos from their day, and Jordan’s best tips, over on 100 Layer Cake.

“For both of us, the two main things we wanted for our wedding was for our families to be there and for it to be outside. That was it. Since those were the only two deal-breakers, we decided there was no reason why we couldn’t elope. We got to have a stress-free, easy going ceremony with our closest people, and still have a giant, pizza-party reception the next day. It was the best of both worlds. The most important part of the whole weekend was the wedding, though. Eloping let us do it all exactly how we wanted to do it, without having to struggle with pleasing everyone else.” - Jordan

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